Quarterdeck Log - Cimpress

On Monday, January 5, 2004, Avionics Technician ThirdClass William J. Nolte of USCG Air Station Houston, Texaswas honored as the CGCVA’s “Coast Guard Person of the Year”for 2002. He was presented a plaque, CGCVA ball cap and anHonorary CGCVA Life Membership during ceremonies atUSCG Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Coast GuardCommandant ADM Thomas Collins and CGCVA NationalPresident Ed Swift made the presentations to Nolte, who hadpreviously earned the Coast Guard Medal for heroism on themorning of November 10, 2002 while extinguishing a gasolinefire at the Chevron facility in Columbus, Texas.

Nolte and his wife, Brittany, were flown from Houston,where they were guests of the Association during their 3-daystay in the Nation’s Capitol.

Nolte’s Coast Guard medal citation reads: “Returning toCoast Guard Air Station Houston from weekend liberty, PettyOfficer Nolte stopped to refuel his vehicle at Chevron’sColumbus location. While inside paying the attendant, a dis-traught man entered the building yelling for someone to call911. Petty Officer Nolte approached the man, asked what theproblem was, and offered to help. The man frantically shout-ed that his fuel tanker truck was on fire. Instantly recognizingthe potential for a devastating explosion and observing the lackof positive action by the fuel truck driver, Petty Officer Noltetook immediate control of the situation.

He quickly located a fire extinguisher inside the station andran outside. While all the people inside and around the gas sta-tion ran away from the tanker truck, Petty Officer Nolte rantoward the fire, with the fuel truck driver following.

Upon arriving at the inferno, he saw six-foot flames shoot-ing upward from an underground fuel storage drop where the18-wheeled tanker truckwas parked. He alsonoticed that the fuel hosewas blistering from theintense heat and laiddown extinguishing agentuntil the fire was out. Atthe same time, he demon-strated extremely clear

thinking by directing the fuel truck driver to secure the fuelpump, thereby eliminating the fire’s fuel source.

After securing the area, he assisted the truck driver with thedangerous task of draining and removing the damaged refuel-ing hoses. The Columbus Volunteer Fire Department arrived afew minutes later and found that Petty Officer Nolte had theentire situation under control.

Had the 9,000-gallon fuel truck and underground storagetank ignited, the ensuing explosion could have easily destroyedan entire city block. His quick actions saved the lives of at least20 people, and prevented extensive damage to all surroundingproperty.

Petty Officer Nolte demonstrated remarkable initiative,exceptional fortitude and daring in spite of imminent and sig-

nificant personal dangerby extinguishing anextremely hazardousgasoline fire. Hiscourage and devotion toduty are in keeping withthe highest traditions ofthe United States CoastGuard.”

the

QuarterQuarterdeck Logdeck Log

Volume 18, Number 4 Winter 2003

AVT3 William J. Nolte Honored Petty Officer Named CGCVA “USCG Person Of The Year” For 2002

Don’t forget to register for the upcoming

CGCVA CONVENTION &REUNION

in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky April 22-26, 2004(see pull-out center section)

AVT3 William Nolte (center) is presented the CGCVA “ CoastGuard Person of the Year” award for 2002 by ADM Thomas

Collins and CGCVA National President Ed Swift.

Membership publication of the Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association. Publishes quarterly — Winter, Spring, Summer,and Fall. Not sold on a subscription basis. The Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association is a Non-Profit Corporation ofActive Duty Members, Retired Members, Reserve Members, and Honorably Discharged Former Members of the United StatesCoast Guard who served in, or provided direct support to combat situations recognized by an appropriate military award whileserving as a member of the United States Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Combat VeteransAssociation

OFFICERSEdward B. Swift, LM, National President

E. P. “Ed” Burke, LM, National Vice PresidentBaker W. Herbert, LM, National Secretary-Treasurer

BOARD OF TRUSTEESChairman:

PNP John W. “Jack” Campbell, LMTwo Term:

PNP Robert J. Maxwell, LMGil “Frenchy” Benoit, LM

One Term:Sidney “Herb” Weinstein, LM

Patrick T. Denney, LM

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE*National Secretary-Treasurer

P.O. Box 544 6629 Oakleaf DriveWestfield Center, OH 44251

Phone: (330) 887-5539 Fax: (330) 887-5639E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.coastguardcombatvets.com*use the Administrative Office for contact with the

CGCVA on all matters

AUXILIARY OFFICERSShirley Ramsey, National President

Linda Benoit, National Vice PresidentJane Maxwell, National Secretary-Treasurer

THE QUARTERDECK LOGEdward B. Swift, LM, Editor-In-Chief

David Teska, LM, Assistant Editor

APPOINTEESWalter W. Gorr, LM, Parliamentarian; Vince Stauffer, LM,

By-Laws Chairman; William G. Miller, LM, Chaplain; PNPRobert J. Maxwell, LM, Budget Director & Convention

Planner; Patrick E. Ramsey, LM, Membership Chairman;Robert F. MacLeod, LM, Ways & Means Director

Kentucky Convention Notes:This is the last QD Log issue that will include convention

information and registration forms. The Fort Mitchell, Ky.convention & reunion (April 22-26) is just around the corner soif you haven’t already made plans and registered, please do soquickly. The convention is the only opportunity for us to offi-cially gather together as an Association and this is bound to beour best convention ever! We will be voting on proposed By-Laws changes and electing officers and trustees. Remember,you can only vote or run for elected positions if you are at theBusiness Meeting.

Attention Trustees, Directors and Chairpersons: It is imper-ative that you attend the Pre-Convention Meeting onWednesday, April 21st at 1600 so please plan your travel sched-ules so as to arrive in time for this critical meeting.

I am very pleased to announce that the keynote speaker atthe Convention Awards Banquet will be CGCVA memberVADM James D. Hull, Commander, Atlantic Area. VADMHull will also assist with the presentation of the 2003 CGCVA“Coast Guard Person of the Year” award.

New Look to Quarterdeck Log and WebsiteThe last issue of the QD Log contained several photographs

which, unfortunately, were not reproduced well by our con-tracted printer. This was especially disappointing for me (aseditor) because many of the photos reflected activities associ-ated with the LT Jack Rittichier memorial ceremonies inwhich the CGCVA played a significant role. The new printerwill be able to print our quarterly magazine in full-color so thisissue should look a bit different than before. I hope you like it.

And speaking of our quarterly magazine, my continuedthanks to all the members who have submitted articles, noticesand photos. It is most appreciated and certainly makes the jobeasier. For those who wish to submit material for considerationin the QD Log, please refer to the information regarding subis-sions on page 30. Thanks again!

Improvements have also been made to the CGCVA website:www.coastguardcombatvets.com so please add this site to your“favorites”. Well-deserved kudos to webmaster John Beck andour Ways & Means Director Robert MacLeod for their cre-ativity and persistence in keeping this an active, informativeand entertaining site.

CGCVA 2002 Coast Guard Person of the YearCongratulations are extended to AVT3 William J. Nolte of

USCG Air Station Houston, TX who was selected as theCGCVA Coast Guard Person of the Year for 2002. I was priv-ileged to present Petty Officer Nolte a plaque, personalizedCGCVA ballcap, portfolio, paperweight and Honorary LifeMembership on January 5th at USCG Headquarters.

(continued on page 30)

Next QD Log deadline is May 1, 2004

From the President

From the Vice President

The Quarterdeck Log 3 Vol. 18, No. 4

Convention UpdateShortly after receiving this issue of the QD Log, we will be

meeting, greeting and getting re-acquainted in Fort Mitchell.It will be good to see you again and renew old friendships. Weare set up for another good time in Kentucky. We have oneslight change and that being theLexington trip. I am not sure how ithappened only that when we calledto confirm our reservations, we wereinformed that they were booked upand had no more room. A lot of dis-cussion followed to no avail.However, Bob found another race-track that could handle us and furnishthe same deal. So, we will be goingto the River Downs Racetrack for ourDay at the Races. Same fine food inthe clubhouse with transportation,and track ticket. One advantage is the bus trip will not take aslong; you will still have the same amount of time at the trackalong with everything else.

Just to clear up one point, the Gambling ship is still therethat a lot of you went to during our last convention there. Wedecided that any of you that wanted to go and gamble, wewould set up transportationfor you but we would not getinvolved with any tours to theship this time out. If you haveyour own transportation, wewill get you instructions howto get there. As you mayremember, it is not a compli-cated trip.

I hope that the memberswill attend the BusinessMeeting on Saturday, April24th at 1130. This is reallyone of the important functionsof our association. This iswhere you vote on changesthat have been proposed toour Constitution and By-Laws, elect your officers for the upcoming years and let yourfeelings be known whether or not you are satisfied with theway the association is being governed.

We are looking for new and younger members to take posi-tions of leadership of the association, so if you are interested ingetting involved, be sure to let us know. You must realize thatthe same people cannot keep running the show forever and weare getting up in the years and need some young blood to takeover. We need new ideas and ways of doing things, so do notbe bashful, step-up and throw your hat in the ring. What we

are calling ‘Young Blood’ you probably think we are lookingfor 30- and 40-year olds. You are wrong! 50- and 60-year oldsare what we need. It is also realized that some of you are stillworking and do not have a lot of time to devote to the associa-tion. Stop and think, we meet every 18 months; these meetings

are being set-up by the committeefor site selection. If you assume aposition in the association you willonly be required to do the job youhave accepted. The more people weget involved the easier it is foreveryone. So please give it someserious thought and do what youcan.

Of course, I am still looking for-ward to having a drink or two withyou. Ed

Veterans of Underage Military ServiceI’m not sure how many CGCVA members, besides myself,

are eligible for or are already members of the Veterans ofUnderage Military Service (VUMS) but here’s some informa-tion of this organization.

VUMS is a veterans organization, formed in 1991, for thosewho entered the militarywhile younger than the min-imum age for enlistment.WUMS has over 1,500members and it is estimatedthat 3-5% of World War IIand Korean War veteranswere underage when theyenlisted. Most WUMSmembers joined the servicebetween the ages of 13 and16 but they also have sixmembers who joined at theage of 12.

The main purposes ofWUMS is to establish amdmaintain contact with thosewho served in the armed

forces while underage; assure all underage veterans that therewill be no retribution from the government because of theirfraudulent enlistment; enjoy friendship of comrades throughmeetings and the WUMS newsletter “Young Warriors;” and torecord for history the unique experience of underage veterans.

Remember the words of ADM Jeremy Boorda, USN, him-self an underage veteran, “You don’t have to be very old togrow up fast.”

For more information on WUMS, call tollfree 1-888-653-8867 or visit their website: www.oldvums.com.

USCG Commandant ADM Thomas Collins with 2002 CGCVA “ CoastGuard Person of the Year” AVT3 William Nolte and his wife Brittany.

From the Secretary-Treasurer


Vietnam MonumentsWe’re receiving great contributions from many CGCVA

members, Cutter Associations, Veterans Associations and evenseveral companies & corporations. To date we have collected$12,800 and spent $8,000 for contractor costs. The total of thetwo monuments (at Cape May and the CG Academy), will costabout $16,000 so we are still a few bucks shy. Any amount willhelp. Think about it — if we can’t remember the sevenCoasties who died, the many who were wounded, and the men,ships and units that served in Vietnam, believe me, no one elsewill. Please try to help. Make checks payable to: CGCVA andmail to: Baker Herbert, P.O. Box 544, Westfield Center, OH44251. All contributions will be greatly appreciated. Thesemonuments will be around at least a few hundred years.

Communicating With the Sec’y-TreasurerMarylou and I are generally around from 8 a.m until 8 p.m.

(EST) to answer the phone at (330) 887-5539. You may preferto FAX me anytime at (330) 887-5639 or e-mail me [email protected]. When leaving a phone mes-sage, please spell your name and give me your phone numbervery slowly... I will get back to you. In an independent surveyit was found that we get back to the caller 100% of the timewhen the phone number left on the answering machine is clear.Since I gave up drinking in 1985, the phone answeringmachine is no longer a major challenge.

Membership ReportThe CGCVA currently has 931 Regular Members, 654 life

members, plus eight officers who are Life Members, 16Honorary Members and 11 Friends. Thirty-two of our ship-mates crossed the bar in 2003, that we received notices on.

VetsRollCallThere is now a website designed exclusively for all who servedin the U.S. military: www.vetsrollcall,com. It’s a site whereold Coasties can be found in a logical and effective way. It alsoincludes a slide show of WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Stormand Iraqi freedom. Give it a spin.

Financial ReportCGCVA funds as of 12/31/03: We have a total of

$72,570.83 in cash, certificates of deposit and money marketassets, the following of which are in Life Member Funds, andour By-Laws only allow us to spend the interest (and there has-n’t been much of that as of late) of $33, 803.30. Completefinancial records will be available at the Convention in ken-tucky and will be audited by the Board of Trustees in accor-dance with our By-laws. The trustees should report their find-ings to the Membership at the Business meeting.

CGCVA Life Membership RatesIf you haven’t already done so, please consider becoming a

Life Member. Current rates are: Age 30 and under ($200); 31-40 ($185); 41-50 ($165); 51-60 ($145); 61-70 ($115); (71-80($85); 81-90 ($50); and 90 and up (No cost).

Welcome New MembersA hearty “Welcome Aboard!” to the following new CGCVA

and Auxiliary members. New member names are followed bysponsors’ names (italicized in parentheses):

NOVEMBER 2003Donald J. Peterson (Chris Wille); Daniel P. Stokes (Harvey

Gjesdal); Chris N. Herrera (Bill Wells); and Richard J.Widmann (Paul Scotti).

DECEMBER 2003James D. Hurley (Terry Lee) and Charlotte Bart (Jack

Campbell).JANUARY 2004

Richard C. Picard (John Anderson); Donald F. Bergman(James Logan Graham); Merrill C. Storey (Kenneth C.Corbin); Edward D. Swanson (Richard Dechant); Lowell W.Wapelhorst (John Freie); Michael Enright (Pat Ramsey); JimDorholt; Charles Engleman (Ed Swift); David S. Christensen(Pat Ramsey); and Frank Perrone (Pat Ramsey).

Ten Percent Never Get The WordRemember that phrase from World war II? It was as com-

mon as “Murphy’s Law” is today. “CHIT” was in vogue, aswere “SNAFU” and “GIZMO.” When you change youraddress, if even temporarily, please let me know. Otherwise,you won’t receive your Quarterdeck Log issue and theAssociation gets charged for the non-delivery, which is a“Lose-Lose” situation. Also, remember that the QD Log is sentout near, or after the Season so this issue (Winter 2003) goesout at about the time Winter is over, usually sometime inmarch. Most of us north of the 35th parallel are certainly look-ing forward to Spring. Do we have any “weatherbirds” in ourAssociation who can tell us what happened to “GlobalWarming?” Brrrrrrr! Semper Paratus! Baker

CGCVA members RetiredMaster Chief Donald

Thinnes (left) and TaylorLapham take a break dur-ing the Mini-Reunion atUSCG Training Center

Cape May, NJ.

Notices & Association News


Bibb Shipmates AssociationThe USCGC Bill (WHEC-31) will hold its 11th reunion inCherleston, S.C., from Oct. 14-16, 2004 at the Holiday InnMount Pleasant. If any Bibb Shipmates Association memberhasn’t received their latest “Scuttlebutt” newsletter, or MikeJohnson’s personal ‘reunion letter’, please contact Mike at 277Brandon Lane, Newnan, Ga., 30265-1499. E-mail: [email protected]. Ph: (770) 251-6680.

USCGC CampbellThe 19th Annual Reunion of the USCGC Campbell

(W-32 - WHEC-909) Association will be held May 20-24, 2004 at the Sheraton Park Ridge Hotel, ValleyForge, 480 North Gulph Road, King of Prussia, Pa.,19406.

All hands who served on the USCGC Campbell (W-32) during the 46 years she served her country, as wellas all current active duty and former members of theUSCGC Campbell (WHEC-909) are welcomed andurged to attend.

For details contact Gordon Bell, Campbell Assn.Vice President, at 75 Hillcrest Avenue, Chalfont, Pa.,18914. Phone: (215) 822-2426. E-mail:[email protected]. Or contact Jim Kelly, Assn.Secretary-Treasurer, at 40 Lisa Lane, Uncasville, Ct.,06382. Phone: (860) 848-1160. E-mail:[email protected].

USCGC DuaneThe USCGC Duane Association will hold its 12th

Reunion in Cape May, N.J., from Sept. 29 - Oct. 3, 2004.Contact Stan Barnes, Duane Assn. President at (603) 286-7720, E-mail: [email protected] or Assn. Secretary JaySchmidt at (508) 285-9765, E-mail: [email protected].

USS William F. Seiverling (DE-441)The 40th reunion of the USS William D. Seiverling

Association will be held Sept. 22-26, 2004 at the Quality Inn,3 Watervliet Extension, Albany, N.Y., 12206. HotelInformation: Ann Clouteier at (800) 424-6423 or (518) 438-8431. E-mail: [email protected]. Fax: (518) 438-8356.Reunion Co-Hosts: Earl Gillette at P.O. Box 2, Woodbury,Ct., 06798. E-mail: [email protected]. Ph: (203) 263-2201. Patrick Cancilla at 10 Carondelet Dr., Apt. #116,Watervliet, N.Y., 12189. Ph: (518) 782-7741.

Gamewardens of VietnamA reunion will be held Aug. 4-8, 2004 at the Menger Hotel,

San Antonio, Texas, for the Gamewardens of Vietnam.Reunion leader is Glen Fry at [email protected]. To make

hotel reservations, call the Menger Hotel at (800) 345-9285. Ablock of rooms is being held there until July 4th. For registra-tion forms or more information, contact Gamewardens of viet-nam at 230 P.R. 182 West, Helotes, Texas, 78023. Registra-tions and payments are due June 15, 2004.

Rolling ThunderThe Rolling Thunder XVII Ride For Freedom will be held

May 30, 2004 in Washington, D.C. Assembly area is the NorthPentagon Parking Lot at 0800. Nikes will leave there at noon

for a ride through Washington, D.C., to the Vietnam Memorial.For additional information and registration forms, contactRolling Thunder, Inc. national at P.O. Box 216, NeshanicStation, N.J., 08853. Ph: (908) 369-5439. Fax: (908) 369-2072.

Pearl Harbor RemembranceOn Dec. 10, 2003, CGCVA members Jim Sandberg and

George P. Alton attended the 62nd anniversary of the PearlHarbor attack. The event was sponsored by the Bay Area PearlHarbor Survivors Association, and was held on Coast GuardIsland, Alameda, Ca. Both men are members of VFW Post819, San Leandro, Ca. They underwent recruit training atAlameda. Keynote speaker was RADM Jody Breckenridge. Inaddition to representing the CGCVA and VFW, George Altonrepresented his son’s father-in-law, a survivor of the battleshipWest Virginia, who was unable to attend due to medical rea-sons. George reports that the Coast Guard members whoattended the ceremony gave him and Jim a most cordial wel-come.

(Left to Right) CGCVA member George Alton, RADM Jody Breckenridge,and CGCVA member Jim Sandberg at Coast Guard Island, Alameda, CA

for the 62nd Anniversary of the Pearl harbor attack.



Parade Salute to WWII VeteransOn May 31, 2004, a 2-1/2 hour “Parade Salute to World War

II Veterans” will be held in Washington, D.C. The parade,sponsored by the World War II Veterans Parade Task Force,will honor and pay tribute to all WWII veterans for their dedi-cation and service to the Nation. Stepping off at 3rd andConstitution Avenues, the parade will proceed downConstitution to 14th Street,where it will conclude. Morethan 20,000 participants areexpected to take part, includingmaching bands and veteransfrom all 50 states. Go towww.worldwar2parade.com formore information.

(Editor’s Note: The CoastGuard Combat VeteransAssociation is officially registeredfor this event as a marching unit soany interested members shouldcontact the Parade Task Forcedirectly through the website to signup.)

USS Serpens DayOn January 29, 2004, several

Coast Guard personnel gatheredat the USS Serpens Memorial atArlington National Cemetery forthe 3rd Annual Wreathlaying Ceremony. The event was spon-sored by the Washington, DC CPOA and CWOA Chapters andUSCG Flags Across America. The date marked the 59th

anniversary of the explosion and destruction of the USSSerpens (AK-97), which subsequently claimed the lives of 250American servicemen, the majority who were CoastGuardsmen. It was the largest single disaster suffered by theCoast Guard in World War II.

The Serpens, a CG-manned ammunition ship, had suppliedAmerican forces in the New Zealand, New Caledonia and

Guadalcanal areas betweenAugust 1943 and December1944. During the night ofJanuary 29, 1945, Serpens wasloading depth charges as it layanchored off the coast of LungaBeach, Guadalcanal in theSolomon Islands. Suddenly, andwithout warning, the 14,250-tonSerpens exploded, causing com-plete destruction of itself anddamaging several nearby ves-sels. Serpens commanding offi-cer LCDR Perry L. Stinson, oneother officer, and six crewmenwere ashore on administrativebusiness when the explosionoccurred, and thus survived.Onboard, there were only twosurvivors, Coast GuardsmenSN/1c Kelsie K. Kemp of

Barron Springs, Va., and SN/1c George S. Kennedy of SanMarcos, Tex. Both were awarded the Purple Heart by thenAsstistant Commandant RADM L. T. Chalker.

Aside from the ten survivors, the devastation to the Serpenswas so great, and the destruction so immediate, that nothingcould be done to save the remaining 250 American servicemenon board. Of the 250, 193 were Coast Guardsmen, 56 wereArmy personnel, and one was a U.S. Public Health Servicedoctor. Remains of the deceased were buried at the Army,Navy and Marine Cemetery at Guadalcanal and later repatriat-ed. An elaborate reinterment ceremony was held June 15, 1949at Arlington.

The extraordinary nature of the catastrophe that claimedtheir lives made identification of the individuals aboard theSerpens impossible. Therefore, their remains were placed in 52caskets and buried in 28 gravesites. Other gravesites in themiddle of the group were set aside for a monument and, onNov. 16, 1950, the USS Serpens Monument was dedicated with300 people attending.

USCG Commandant VADM Merlin O’Neill remarked atthe dedication address that “we cannot undo the past... but wecan ensure... that these men shall be respected and honored for-ever.”

CGCVA President Ed Swift and Coast Guard SPAR LorraineDieterle place a wreath at the USS Serpens Monument at

snow-covered Arlington National Cemetery on Jan. 29, 2004.

Trustee Herb Weinstein and PNP Jack Cambell meet withCoast Guard Academy Commandant of Cadets CAPT DougWisnewski Oct. 25th. The CGCVA presented watches and

certificates to outstanding cadets.



Editor’s Note: I had the distinct pleasure and honor to repre-sent the CGCVA at this year’s USS Serpens Day. Perhaps we willhave more members at next year’s ceremony which will mark the60th anniversary of the disaster.

WWII Memorial & RegistryPresident Clinton signed Public law 103-32 on May 25,

1993, authorizing the American Battle MonumentsCommissioin (ABMC) to establish a World war II Memorial inWashington, D.C. It will be the first national memorial dedi-cated to all who served during WWII and acknowledging thecommitment and achievement of the entire nation.

There is a registry website online for the WWII memorialcurrently being constructed at the mall (between theWashington Monument and the Lincoln memorial). The mem-ory of America’s WWII generation will be preserved withinthe physical memorial and through the World War II Registryof Remembrances, an individual listing of Americans whocontributed to the war effort.

The memorial committee is looking for the names of allveterans and/or civilians that served here or abroad. Theymust be registered by a friend or family member at website:www.wwiimemorial.com.

Any U.S. citizen who helped win the war, whether a veter-an or someone on the homefront, is eligible for the Registry.Names in the Registry will be forever linked to the memorial’sbronze and granite representations of their sacrifice andachievement.

The Registry combines four distinct databases that can besearched for names of those whose service and sacrifice helpedwin WWII. The Registry includes the names of Americanswho are:

-- Buried in American battle Monuments Commissionoverseas military cemeteries.

-- Memorialized on ABMC overseas Tablets of theMissing.

-- Listed on official War and navy Department Killedin Service rosters now held by the National Archives andRecoords Administration (NARA).

-- Honored by public enrollment in the Registry ofRemembrances.

Do You Have A Story To Tell?Author/Researcher Mike Walling is seeking to contact

USCG World War II veterans who were involved in amphibi-ous landings. Contact him at 99 Fort Meadow Dr., Hudson,Mass., 01749-3138. Ph: (978) 562-9872.

Researcher Frank Nappi is seeking to contact World WarII veterans who served in the Pacific Theater. Contact him at2 Massachusetts Ave., Massapequa, N.Y., 11758-3845. E-mail: [email protected]. Ph: (516) 541-1787.

Author Lisa Daniels desires stories, etc. from African-American veterans of all wars, and their families for a book.Contact her at 3516 43rd St., Sacramento, Ca., 95817-3732. E-mail: [email protected]. Ph: (916) 455-5816.

Coast Guard Partners With NASCARThe Coast Guard has finalized a partnership with Labonte

Motorsports and driver Justin Labonte for a 15-race schedule inthe 2004 NASCAR Busch Series.Justin’s father, two-time Nextel Serieschampion Terry Labonte and his uncleBobby Labonte, winner of the 2000Nextel championship and 1991NASCAR Busch series champi-onship, will participate in the programwhich is aimed at enhancing the CoastGuard’s recruiting and outreach mis-sions.

Justin, 22, recently won the 2003late model Stock Championship atCaraway Speedway in Asheboro,N.C., duplicating the feat accom-plished by Bobby Labonte in 1987. Justin posted impressivestatistics in his title run with seven wins in 24 starts, to go with19 top-five and 21 top-ten finishes.

“This partnership offers a unique opportunity to showcasethe Coast Guard and tell our story to an unprecedented audi-ence of potential recruits and those that influence them,” saidADM Thomas Collins, commandant of the Coast Guard. “Weare delighted to welcome the Labontes to our Coast GuardFamily.”

The 2004 Team Coast Guard Racing/Labonte Motorsports#44 Dodge will be driven by Justin in 15 races during the 2004Busch Racing Season. These include:

April 3 — O’Reilly 300 (Texas Motor Speedway)May — 1-800-PIT-SHOP.com 300 (California Speedway)June 5 — MBNA America 200 (Dover Int’l Speedway)June 19 — Meijer 300 (Kentucky Speedway)July 2 — Winn-Dixie 250 (Daytona Int’l Speeday)July 10 — Twister 300 (Chicagoland Speedway)July 24 — New England 200 (New Hampshire Int’l

SpeedwayAug. 21 — Cabela’s 250 (Michigan Int’l Speedway)Sept. 4 — CaliforniaSpeedway.com 300Sept. 10 — Funai 250 (Richmond Int’l Speedway)Sept. 25 — Stacker 200 (Dover Int’l Speedway)Oct. 30 — Aaron’s 312 (Atlanta Motor Speedway)Nov. 6 — Basha’s Supermarkets 200 (Phoenix Int’l

SpeedwayNov. 20 — Ford 300 (Homestead-Miami Speedway)

Justin Labonte



Saluting Top RecruitsEach week at graduation ceremonies at Coast Guard

Training Center Cape May, New Jersey, the CGCVA sponsorsthe Physical Fitness Award to a graduating recruit. A CGCVAwatch and certificate are presented, often by an attendingCGCVA member. Since the last QD Log issue, the followingrecruits have received the CGCVA-sponsored Physical FitnessAward:

SN Jason R. Casares (India-166) of Corpus Christi, Tex.,reports to USCGC Muskingum, Sallisaw, Okla.

SA Tony L. Robb (Lima-166) of Chicago, Ill., reports toUSCGC Katmai Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.

SA Jordan L. Coulter (Mike-166) of Sacramento, Ca.,reports to USCGC Kukui, Honolulu, Hi.

SA Eric W. Bossardt (November 166) of Tampa, Fla.,reports to USCGC Valiant, Miami Beach, Fla.

SN James P. Hockenberry (Oscar 166) of Houston, Tex.,reports to USCGC Greenbrier, Natchez, Miss.

SN Clyde M. McCully (Quebes 166) of Houston, Tex.,reports to USCGC Munro, Alameda, Ca.

SN Brady A. Osborne (Sierra 166) of Jacksonville, Fla.,reports to MK “A” School, Yorktown, Va.

SN Al C. Tools, Jr. (Tango 166) of San Diego, Ca., reportsto USCGC Escanaba, Boston, Mass.

SN Mark T. Hendricks (Uniform 166) of San Diego, Ca.,reports to USCGC Boutwell, Alameda, Ca.

SA Cliffton T. Wolfe (Bravo 167) of Detroit, Mich.,reports to USCGC Morganthau, Alameda, Ca.

FA John T. Scrivener (Charlie 167) of Honolulu, Hi.,reports to USCGC Kittiwake, Lihue, Hi.

E-Mail AddressesTo assist our Association members in contacting each other,

here is an alphabetized list of member names and their e-mailaddresses. This list is published as they are received. The listis tested periodically and those addresses returned as “prohib-ited by administrator,” “mailbox unavailable,” “user unknown,”“no such host,” or “not a valid user,” etc., are removed from thelisting. Previously listed e-mail addresses will be shown reg-ular-face; new and changed addresses will be bold-faced inblue:

Adams, Arnie. [email protected], Reed. [email protected], Victor. [email protected], John. [email protected], Leo. [email protected], Ray. ralger1@tampabay,rr.comAltoff, Gerald T. [email protected], Richard M. [email protected], John. [email protected]

Anderson, Jeff L. [email protected], CAPT John M. [email protected], Jack. [email protected], Fred. [email protected], CAPT C. William. [email protected], Thomas. WWW.LaPrivateEye.comBaxter, Gordon L. [email protected], Craig. [email protected], Bill. [email protected], Matthew [email protected] “Frenchy”. [email protected], Ralph W. [email protected], Charles. [email protected], George. [email protected], Herb. [email protected], Roland. [email protected], Ken. [email protected], James G. [email protected], Cecil C. [email protected], Clarence. [email protected], George R. [email protected], Dave. [email protected], Pat. [email protected], MCPO Ray. [email protected], C. Lee, Jr. [email protected], Kenneth. [email protected], Robert. [email protected], Louis J. [email protected], Thomas E. [email protected], Robert. [email protected], Barbara. [email protected], Homer. [email protected], Marcel. [email protected], B.J. Charles. [email protected], Ed. [email protected], Lambert L. [email protected], Garth J. [email protected], D. Elvin. [email protected], Segundo Angel. [email protected], Harold E. [email protected], Ken. [email protected], George T. [email protected], William E. [email protected], Peter M. [email protected], Donald. [email protected], Robert & Evelyn. [email protected], Herb. [email protected], Garret E., Jr. [email protected], James E. [email protected], Kenneth C. [email protected], Robert S. [email protected], Gordon W. [email protected], John R. [email protected], David A. [email protected], Jack. [email protected], Frank L. [email protected], “Tug Boat” Ted. [email protected]



DeKar, Walt. [email protected], Alan. [email protected], William G. [email protected], Donald L. [email protected], Robert W. [email protected], George Sr. [email protected], Al. [email protected], Armand J. [email protected], Ed. [email protected], Paul H. [email protected], CAPT Melvin H. [email protected], Dwayne “Paul”. [email protected], Ray. [email protected], Stan. [email protected], Van R. [email protected], Anthony J. [email protected], Bill. [email protected], Jesse C. [email protected], CAPT Carmond. [email protected], Andy. [email protected], John G. [email protected], Lowell. [email protected], Dennis. [email protected], George. [email protected]’s Place. www.fredsplace.org/Friedman, Jerry. [email protected], Leonard. [email protected], Dr. Dillard H. [email protected], Paul E. [email protected], CWO4 John E. [email protected], Lloyd J. [email protected], Floyd E. [email protected], Michael. [email protected], Michael J., III. [email protected], Paul M. [email protected]. stanmilly@cs,comGoff, Jerry. [email protected], Charles. [email protected], James. [email protected], Terry. [email protected], Charles L. [email protected], Waverly R. [email protected], Joe. [email protected], Neils A. [email protected]. Alan J. [email protected], Richard N. [email protected], Bill. [email protected], Robert N. [email protected], Baker. [email protected], Bill. [email protected], William T. [email protected], Thomas. [email protected], Mike. [email protected], T.J. [email protected], Harry S. [email protected], Arthur W. [email protected]

Jaskot, John J. [email protected], Byron E. [email protected] War Veterans of the U.S. www.jwv.orgJohns, Wilber. [email protected], Mike. [email protected], Wade O. [email protected], CDR Larry L. [email protected], Jerry. [email protected], Edward F. [email protected], Edward. [email protected], Christopher. [email protected], Frank. [email protected], Joe. [email protected], Fred. [email protected], BMCM James W. [email protected], Preston L. [email protected], Thomas R. [email protected], Dave. [email protected], Michael. [email protected], Emil J. [email protected], Gordon T. [email protected], Thomas J. [email protected], Taylor. [email protected], W.E. [email protected], Pat. [email protected], John W. [email protected], Anthony. [email protected], Morris “Mo”. [email protected], William H. “Whitey”. [email protected], John. [email protected], Carroll R. [email protected], Harold. [email protected] Association. www.uslst.orgMacCloud, Robert. [email protected], John. [email protected] Intrye, Don. [email protected], John P. [email protected], Joe. [email protected], George E. [email protected], Butch. MYGWINGMaxey, Ernest T. [email protected], Robert. NobnJane@frontier,net.netMcCurry, Paul. [email protected], MCPO Dan. [email protected], Ralph. [email protected], W.C. [email protected], Ken R. [email protected], Russ. [email protected], W.S. “ Moose” . [email protected], Bill. [email protected], Nick. [email protected], Harry W. [email protected], Lee A. [email protected], David L. [email protected], CAPT William E. [email protected], Phil. [email protected], Tanney Edward. [email protected]



Oldford, Harry J. [email protected], Leland. [email protected], C. Bruce. [email protected], Dean. [email protected], Bill. [email protected], Stanley F. [email protected], Richard G. [email protected], Ron. [email protected], Charles A. [email protected], Douglas R. [email protected],Philippy, Basil H. [email protected], RM1 Robert. [email protected], RMCS Larry. [email protected], Robert Earl. [email protected], Dean B. [email protected], Gene. [email protected], Dave. [email protected], Patrick. [email protected], Ed. [email protected], John. [email protected], Jerald L. [email protected], Robert. [email protected], Larry. [email protected], Charles E. [email protected], Cliff. [email protected], Philip S. [email protected], Burleigh [email protected], John F. [email protected], VADM Thomas. [email protected], Bob. [email protected], Phil. [email protected], Liz. [email protected], Paul. [email protected], Jack. [email protected], Joseph A. [email protected], Andrew. [email protected], Harry A. [email protected], Leroy. [email protected], Raymond. [email protected], LCDR George P. [email protected], Paul R. [email protected], Patrick A. [email protected], Tommy C. [email protected], Ralph G. [email protected], Curt F. [email protected], Maurice “Moe”. [email protected], Harold A. [email protected], Floyd. [email protected], Edward B. [email protected], Kristopher L. [email protected], Edward M. [email protected], Jerry. [email protected], Fernando. [email protected], James S. [email protected], Sidney. [email protected], Anthony. [email protected] Thornhill, Bill. [email protected]

Totino, Rocco. [email protected], Peter J., Jr. [email protected], Art. [email protected] LST 832. www,madhooligan.orgVenzke, Norman C. [email protected], Richard F. [email protected], Larry. [email protected], John R. [email protected], Bob. [email protected], William A. [email protected], CDR Mark P. [email protected], CWO Horace C. [email protected], Bernard C. [email protected], John W. [email protected], Russell N. [email protected], Sidney “Herb”. [email protected], Earl. [email protected], Paul E. [email protected], Charles D. [email protected], F.A. II. [email protected], Hal Jr. [email protected] Wolf, George A. [email protected], BMCM Walter A. [email protected], Rodney. [email protected], Don. [email protected]

The Valiant Press: War Through The Lensby Jack E. Pulwers, Ph.D.

Editor’s Note: With the author’s permission, a snippet of hisrecent book, “ The Press of Battle: The GI Reporter and theAmerican People,” is provided here. This portion comes fromChapter Eight (The Valiant Press: Coast Guard). Photos selectedwere not from the book but do represent some of the thousands ofWWII combat photos shot by Coast Guard photographers. Thesephotos were obtained through the Coast Guard Historian’s Office,Washington, D.C.

The Coast Guard Photography Section was not without itssupporters. In June 1942 the Lansing Journal hailed the workof the Coast Guard journalist-photographer: “This unan-nounced and unheraldedfighting outfit, long the silentpartner behind many of ourcountry’s greatest feats,boasts a reputation ofachievement unrivaled fordaring and general accom-plishment.” It boasted that thebranch was the “nation’s old-est fighting naval service,”and that because of the workof its information people“gradually America is becom-ing aware of this plucky serv-



ice and the invaluable work it is doing.” It paid tribute to thephotographers and men who covered the action in every cor-ner of the world.

In May, 1942, Aubrey Graves, managing editor of theWashington Daily News, said,” Some of the most spectacularphotos of the war have come to us from your branch of theservice, and we have made good use of them.” Much work hadbeen done by few people. The Advertiser of Montgomery,Ala., wrote, “There aren’t many public relations officers on

their crew ros-ters or war cor-respondents ontheir passengerlists.” VictorJohnson of ther o t o g r a v u r esection of theBoston SundayHerald wroteon June 4,1943, praisingthe photo serv-ice as amongthe finest in thenation, andU l r i c hCalvosa, asso-ciate editor ofColliers, wrote

on the same day a tribute to “the break the Coast Guard got onthe submarine series. These are by far the best pictures of theexploits in the submarine campaign.”

But snapping pictures was only one part of the job done bythe combat photographers of the Coast Guard. Transpositionof combat art into photographs was an art in itself. The fea-ture editor of the Seattle News praised this effort. “Pleaseaccept our thanks for the set of excellent sketches of theTarawa battle by Ken Riley...” The ditor devoted several pagesto Riley’s art.

The news photographers cast into the tide of combatlearned the twin objectives quickly — personal survival andgetting the picture. They used mainly the speed graphic.Under certain conditions lighting was bad and position was

worse. When wavesof troops hit thebeaches a new scenedeveloped everysecond. Mortalcombat — thebeachhead — wasdifficult to photo-graph. Dust, water,

sand, smoke, trees, and haze were almost always the enemy ofthe cameraman who struggled on the quick jump and run.

His eyes were everywhere looking for photo opportunities,grasping for the slice of action most susceptible to the ready-snap. It was all done in seconds. If he tripped along the wayhe had to check his equipment again. Load and unload taskswere constant obstructions. It took time while flashes of lifeand death flickered about. It was a fight for the instant snapand ground cover which could not blot out the exquisitemoment of photo contact. Rocks and shells were forever cut-

ting at the knees and elbows, and these men suffered in orderto gain the instant shot, or the possibility of the moment and aface for history. It was an art developed for the express purposeof being, of freezing the awful character of suspense of dyingor not. It was this precise feeling that blended into the film, anda new art was born in its immediacy.

Mud, heat, and water all submerged with the photographer’sgreatest efforts, and they were always there. They overtook hiscamera, spilled over his film, and blotted out some of his best“takes.” Softening film would often tear along the trace as a roll



would be wasted. A bag of theprecious load could bedropped in a mud-rut in thenear dark, and three hours ofwork could be lost.

These were the commonproblems faced by ScottWigle, formerly of the DetroitTimes, and Ray Platnick, whobrought his PM newspaperexperience with him to theCoast Guard. In the Pacific,Arthus Green, a recent Acmeman, almost drowned in cov-erage of a rescue mission atsea. There were others: Jack January of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and AP’s William Forsythe covered virtually everytheater of war. So enthusiastic were their fellow photographersback home about the news business that they staged an exhib-it of the works of these seagoing cameramen at the NationalPress Club in Washington.

Coast Guard Combat cameraman Jack January never shot agun in the war, but aboard the USS Spencer at the time aGerman submarine was spotted far out in the Atlantic, theChief Boatswain’s mate shot pictures instead.

Three of my cameras were lying on deck, for I hoped to getsome shots if any Nazis stuck their noses out. Frankly I hadbeen pretty skeptical about ever seeing a sub. Then it hap-pened. Charlie had just finished saying something or otherabout how war can be pretty dull when he began tugging at myarm. “Jack!” he blurted out, “Jack! Isn’t that a submarine com-ing up out there?” I jerked around to see Charlie pointing at aspot about a mile off our port quarters. a long, dark objectseemed to be squeezing itself out of the water.

While I grabbed for my camera, our skipper, CDR HaroldS. Bedine, turned to a gunner’s mate on the wing of the bridge

and said quietly, “Well son,here’s what you’ve been wait-ing for. Give ‘em hell.” Thegunner’s cannon beganthrowing shells and I began“shooting” film from everyangle I could think of. Ourcrew was yelling like a col-lege cheering section. I

closed my eyes once and thought I was back in St. Louis cov-ering a Cardinals-Dodgers baseball game. Suddenly, Naziheads began to appear at the conning tower of the sub and thefirst men out began swarming toward the U-boat’s three deckguns. By that time our machine guns and cannons were on thebeam, and they knockedoff Germans like claypigeons. We kept pour-ing shells and slugs intothe long iron fish, whilethe Spencer charged in,preparing to ram thehuge submarine.Germans began jumpingoverboard, throwing uptheir hands and shouting“Halp! Halp!” As aresult, the submarinewas not rammed.

As survivors werepicked up, Jack snappedaway. His pictures ofthis action became thetalk of the war.

Combat photogra-pher H. Scott Wiglemade his historic “first”when he went intoNormandy on D-Day and sent a steady stream of “pix” toLondon. Two files of the LCIs. each with a barrage balloon,were shot as they moved across the channel and as the landingcraft poked onto the French beaches, some on fire, some sink-

Natives of Okinawa are“taxied” in a Marine

amphibious invasion craftto a refugee camp awayfrom the gunfire on the

Ryukyu stronghold.

Coast Guardsmen assist a bat-tle-blackened Marine Marine upover the side of a CG-manned

assault transport after two daysof intensive fighting had wipedthe enemy from Eniwetok Atoll

in the Marshalls.

Emulating the famous flag-raising on Iwo Jima’s MountSuribachi, Marines and Coast Guardsmen bend their

backs to plant the first Stars and Stripes to wave overOkinawa with a flag from a CG-manned LST.

being transferred fromplanes to boats out at sea.Photographer’s Mate FirstClass Robert P. Magine’s “Hymns Before Battle” immortalizedthe Negro’s role from an LST as black troops knelt in prayerjust before a landing, their heads bent and singing and a blackchaplain shouted to the skies in song; he was holding a psalm

book in his hand. Only the lifeboatpartially blocked the view of thethreatening waters surrounding theships.

The harvest of death shots ofPhotographer’s Mate First ClassJames F. Perine had becomefamous overnight as they scoredthe reality of battle through the eyeof the camera. One such photo wasof a Japanese soldier burnedbeyond recognition, the lower partof his body shafted in the sand asthe skelital face stared outward.The soldier’s gun was still in hisright hand and the burned helmetwas still on the gruesome head, agrim reminder of the work of the

flame-thrower.These were versitile photographers. Robert M. Warren,



ing. Wigle captured through his lens the fatal passage. Wigleshot the first American-made photo of the invasion to be sentby radio-telephone from London. So immensely popular washis photography that Wigle’s photo-art sold for $3,000 in aradio bond auction campaign.

“No matter who won the war,”proclaimed the Detroit NewsPictorial for March 18, 1945, “theinfantry, the Air Force, etc., a greatmany competent judges havealready made up their minds thatthe photographic laurels go to theCoast Guard.” Coast Guard pho-tographers took hundreds of shotsof the Army Transportation Corps.People back home saw a photo ofa red-headed man grinning fromear to ear from Summit, N.J.,aboard a transport on the way toNormandy. This picture made his-tory. The Coast Guard-mannedUSS Wakefield transported sixthousand soldiers to Normandy, and the men of the BostonNaval District Coast Guard on the way to the French shore sawpictures of themselves in their own newspapers before theyreached shore.

The Army and Navy Bulletin of March 2, 1945, was elatedthat “in any final evolution of the wartime achievements of theDivision of Public relations, the work of two units — CoastGuard combat photographers and Marine Corps CombatCorrespondents — must be rated as outstanding.”

In the Atlantic hurricane at Cape Hatteras of Sept. 14,1944, the survivors who drifted in boats for fifty-eight hoursin shark-infested waters were photographed as they were

(Left) Coast Guardsmentalk to injured para-

troopers aboard a CG-manned transport.

(Right) Three begrinnedMarines are snapped bya Coast guard CombatPhotographer as theyuncover a “tin lizzie”

from the wreckage of agarage on the previous-ly Japanese-held island

of Saipan.

American soldiers, landed by Coast Guardsmenon Aka Shima find the civilians stunned by the

mighty strike to the very doorstep of Japan.

A Coast Guard-manned LCI hits the beach at Tarawa.



Photographer’s Mate Third Class of Adel, Iowa,shot a striking picture of a wounded Marinebeing transferred by Coast Guardsmen off theflaming Iwo Jima beachhead, and he also wroteup his account of the action in Coast Guardpapers. Charles W. Bossert, Photographer’sMate Second Class of Long Beach, Ca., lost hiscamera and movie equipment at Iwo jima. Itwas a disquiting experience, “then all hell brokeloose, and for two hours the Japs seemed to bethrowing everything they had our way.” Mortarsthrew a large, high slow-moving shell, whichwhen landing exploded with a terrible force.One slammed into Bossert’s shell hole, and morewere on the way at the rate of one every thirtyseconds. “We hugged the ground trying to makeourselves as small as possible. Then it hit —about five or ten yards ahead of us and a little tothe right. The shock felt like some huge force.It was minutes before any of us could move.When I finally looked up, my movie camera waslying right beside my head with a large jaggedhole directly through the center and the film wasall full of holes, but I am intact.” But Bossertfound his pencil anyway, and he wrote out whathe could not photograph. The story made theCoast Guard newspapers and the civilian dailiesas well.

Coast Guard photo specialists were with thefirst ships that stabbed into the Keramas six daysbefore the major storming of Okinawa. Guard shots werewire-photoed from Guam after the beachheads were secured.On Okinawa, Leo Lonergan, Chief Photographer’s Mate, didoutstanding work in shooting the action. Still photographycame to life with Bossett, Vernon Brown, Seth Shepherd, andGilbert J. de Stefano leading the way. In the Ryukus, it wassaid that the photography men outdid themselves in combinedvalor and art as they filmed slit trench warfare and coveredeverything from stolen horses to japanese suicides. Lackingmuch action after a quick conquest, someof the reporters there managed to filmmini-anthropological photo tretises.

The Navy Institute of Photographywould not let the nation forget the partCoast Guard photographers played.They exhibited stills of these men asamong “the best 100 of the war.”Memories of Jack January were fixed in“Torpedo Junction” about three Britishsailors marooned on a raft, mid-ocean(picture #1532); January’s “The Spencer

Sinking a Nazi Sub,” showing a cutter’s deck propped fore-ground (#1417); William J. Forsythe, Warrant Photographerfrom Washington, a flaming rainbow of fire at the cone of anammunition ship blowing up near Sicily (#1917); RaphaelPlatnik’s photo piece made the New Yorker; Platnick squeezedthe trigger for a shot of a Coast Guardsman’s hand reachingdown to pull aboard the marine coming back from Eniwetok(#3368); Robert Sargent of Summit, N.J., at Selerno (#2000);Art Green, dramatic hardy shots of the “But You Don’t Have to

Come Back” young face aboard theMenges (#2330); and the likeness of anoil-coated, wounded survivor, frozen intime in a picture close-up as he writhedin pain aboard the Lansdale (#2140).

Through the photo combat corre-spondents, the men and women of theCoast Guard saw these pictures andlearned about their companions in thepress of battle.

And so did the rest of the Americanpeople.

CROSSED THE BAR

William B. Burke, LMJoined: 4-25-89 CTB: 2000

John W. Colton, LMJoined: 10-2-92 CTB: 6-5-02

Walter GrabowyJoined: 11-1-87 CTB: 12-24-02

George W. WickizerJoined: 11-15-92 CTB: 6-5-03

Time Gets Better With Age

I’ve learned that I love my teacher because she cries when we sing“Silent Night.” — Age 5

I’ve learned that when I wave to people, they stop what they’re doing andwave back. — Age 9

I’ve learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makesme clean it up again. — Age 12

I’ve learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheer-ing up someone else. — Age 14

I’ve learned that wherever I go, the world’s worst drivers have followedme there. — Age 29

I’ve learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must liveso that no one will believe it. — Age 30

I’ve learned that children and grandparents are natural allies. — Age 47I’ve learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the

phone. — Age 50I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you

miss them terribly when they die. — Age 53I’ve learned that making a living is not the same as making a life. —

Age 58I’ve learned that if you want to do something positive for your children,

work to improve your marriage. — Age 61I’ve learned that whenever I decide to do something with kindness, I

usually make the right decision. — Age 66I’ve learned that everyone can use a prayer. — Age 72I’ve learned that whever I have pains, I don’t have to be one. — Age 82I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. — Age 92

COAST GUARD COMBAT VETERANS ASSOCIATION

REUNION/CONVENTIONFort Mitchell, Ky. 2004

REGISTRATION FORM22-26 April 2004

The Drawbridge Villager Premier2477 Royal Drive

Ft. Mitchell, Ky., 41017-35991-800-426-3841 * Fax 859-341-6644

E-mail: www.drawbridgeinn.com

Room Rates: Main Bldg. Standard Room 1 to 4 occupancy $84.00 +TaxGarrison Bldg. 1 to 4 occupancy $74.00 + Tax

Suites must be through Bob Maxwell

PLEASE BOOK YOUR ROOM DIRECTLY WITH HOTEL(Be sure to let them know you are with CGCVA)

The rates for anyone wishing to arrive early and/or depart late apply for three days before and threedays after

(Please Type or Print Clearly)

Name:

Address:

City/State/Zip Code:

Phone: Organization:

Arrival Date/Time:

Name of Guest/Spouse:

Name(s) to Appear on Badge(s):

Fees to register for Tours, Luncheons and Banquet are shown on the following page. After selectionof the activities you are to attend, fill in the corresponding amounts and total them. Send this page

and the page with your Tour/Meal selections along with your check to:

E. P. “ED” BURKE, LM17728 STRILEY DRIVE

ASHTON, MD., 20861-9763(301) 924-3727

Registration/Tour/Lunch/BanquetReservation Form

CGCVA Registration:

EARLY: (Rec’d. By 4/1/04) LATE: (Rec’d. After 4/1/04$12.50 per person, $24.00 Couple $15.00 per person, $30.00 Couple

NO EXCEPTIONS

Cost How Many? Total

Registration Fee (See Above) Single Couple

TOURS:

April 23, Friday $50.00 ea X =Day at the Races: Incls: Bus Transportation to River Down’s Racetrack, Cinn., OH, TrackTicket & Buffet Luncheon.

April 24, Saturday $50.00 ea X =“Admiral” Dinner Cruise: Incls: Bus Transportation,Cruise Ticket & Buffet: Prime Rib/Teriyaki Chicken & Pasta Dish.

April 25, Sunday $40.00 ea X =Brunch Cruise: Incls: Bus Transportation, Cruise TicketDixieland Music & Buffet Luncheon

April 24, SaturdayCGCVA Business Lunch $15.00 X =(Add $2.00 after 4/1/04)CGCVAUX Friendship Lunch $15.00 X =(Add $2.00 after 4/1/04)

AWARDS BANQUET:

April 25, Sunday $29.00 X =(Add $2.00 after 4/1/04)

Poultry: Beef:

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED: $ (Make check payable to: CGCOMVETS)

If you have dietary requirements, advise Bob Maxwell upon arrival.

Drawbridge InnItinerary

Thursday, 9:30 a.m. Hospitality Room Open until 3:45 p.m. 22 April Registration/Info Desk open same as Hospitality Room.

4:00 p.m. Opening Ceremony. Immediately after opening cere-mony, the Hospitality Room will be open until closing.

Friday, 9:30 a.m. Hospitality Room Open. Registration/Info.23 April 10:45 a.m. Load onto buses for “Day at the Races” at River

Downs. Departs at 11:00 a.m. Includes Bus Transportation, RaceTrack Ticket, and Buffet Luncheon.

Saturday, 9:30 a.m. Hospitality Room Open until 11:00 a.m.. 24 April Registration/Info Desk open same as Hospitality Room.

11:30 a.m. CGCVA Business Meeting/Luncheon and the CGCVA Auxiliary Meeting/Luncheon. Be sure to bring yourlunch ticket. Guests of CGCVA are invited to the Auxiliary Friendship Luncheon unless there has been a meeting luncheon set up for their group. After the meeting is over the Hospitality Room will reopen. 6:15 p.m. Load onto buses for “Admiral” dinner cruise. Depart at6:30 p.m.

Sunday, 9:30 a.m. Hospitality Room Open. Registration/Info.25 April 11:15 a.m. Load bus for Brunch Cruise.Depart at 11:30 a.m.

Includes Bus Transportation, Cruise Ticket, and Buffet.6:00 p.m. Cash Bar7:00 p.m. Awards Banquet. Hospitality Room will reopen at theend of the Awards Banquet.

Monday, 8:00 a.m. Meeting of Officers and Trustee’s. Departure of26 April attendees as scheduled.

Upon your arrival at the Drawbridge Inn, be sure to check the times of the tours asthey are subject to change.

General Information for Members &Visiting Associations

Please wear your nametag at all times while in the Hospitality Room. You will notbe served without it.

If you registered early, your ship/station/Group will be entered on your nametag. Thisshould make it easier to be recognized and attract others to speak up and get acquainted.

If you want a separate meeting room and luncheon for your group, contact BobMaxwell. His telephone number is: (530) 335-3876 & the Fax number is: (530) 335-3304.Please, accomplish this prior to arrival at the Drawbridge Inn. Give Bob time toaccomplish your request.

All attendee’s that require Handicap Accommodations must notify hotel when register-ing. R/V parking is available for self-contained units at a nominal fee. (Check w/hotel,you must register). Remember, guests and visitors are entitled to participate in all activi-ties with one exception and that is, you cannot attend the CGCVA Business Meeting. TheBy-Laws state that only members can attend.

All guests are encouraged to lunch with the Auxiliary luncheon. We have tried to set upeverything to make you comfortable and welcome to this reunion & CGCVA Convention.If we have overlooked something, please let us know what it is.

The rates for anyone wishing to arrive early and/or depart late are the same for threedays before and three days after the convention. Make these arrangements with thehotel when registering.

Our Policy for Refunds is basically the same. Requests for refunds of all paymentswill be honored for compelling reasons if they are received by March 22, 2004. Refundrequests after that date will be honored after the convention subject to availability of fundsafter all convention expenses are paid. Registration fees are non-refundable due to thefact that the money has been spent for necessary convention items. All other refundrequests, with the exception of those made because of a death in the family, are sub-ject to a $15.00 administrative fee.


Features & Association News

The Tale of the “ Lucky Chase”By QM2/c Leon “ Hank” Greenberg, USCG

Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part story on theexploits of the officers and men of the USS Samuel Chase and itsrole in the invasion of North Africa in November 1942, code-named Torch. Americans, under the command of a GeneralDwight Eisenhower, would face the German Wermacht for thefirst time. Where they up to the task? How would the French reactto the invasion?

Part 2

Wearing my foul-weather gear and my lifejacket slungover one arm I surveyed this gigantic convoy. This had to besomething big. The gray of America’s transports division con-trasted sharply with the black of the British vessels flankingour beam as this great convoy formed up and took departure.

The whole week before the Algiers landing had beendevoted to intense study of plans for individual phases of theattack - maps, models, aerial photographs, and intelligencereports. Aboard the Chase, we made final preparations toland. Every man studied printed pamphlets, telling how tosafeguard his health in Africa and listing various do’s anddon’t’s in connection with Arabic customs. Everywhere oneturned men were loading gun belts and Tommy gun clips.Rifles were oiled to perfection, and trench knives were whet-ted to a razor edge. Jeep batteries were charged and all vehi-cles gassed up. Troops were split up into landing teams andeach man of each group was familiarized with his boat and netstation. A disembarkation drill was held every afternoon andthe Army went to the nets in preparation for the landing thatwas approaching closer every day. All Troops Officersscanned maps and planned attacks on their assigned objec-tives.

Coxswains of landing boats received detailed instructionsas to courses and speeds to be used in approaching the beach.Gunnery officers studied ranges and objectives on the beach,the principal target being the fort on Cape Matifou. Doctorsmade ready operating rooms and emergency dressing stations.Disembarkation nets were slung over the sides as we passedthe Straits of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean.

On November 4, 1942 while south bound the ConvoyCommodore opened his orders and told his officers wherethey were going and, briefly, what was expected of them. Wein turn informed our men that, on the morning of November8, our transport division was going to force a landing atAlgiers.

The week that followed brought to light the most intricatelarge scale planning in military and naval history for anamphibious attack. Army and Coast Guard officers held sepa-

rate conferences mulling over the particular problems allottedto each group; then combined conferences and discussionssmoothed off the rough edges.

Each officer mastered the operations as a whole and thenstudied his own special job until he was entirely familiar withevery detail. There were hundreds of aerial photographs, claymosaics of beaches and interior terrain (showing the location ofevery tree, vineyard, and house) as well as notebooks chock fullof intelligence reports covering every conceivable detail of ouroperation. Even special American dollars - invasion money -was supplied for our use ashore.

As the days passed, the scuttle-butt ran wild - the troops hadbegun to have new ideas about our destination, each day itbecame warmer, and soon chilly winds gave place to lightbreezes.

The track from the United Kingdom was at first northwest-erly, then due south, and finally east to confuse the German U-boats and scouting aircraft. Then the long columns of shipsturned eastward. The assembly of the convoy took place westof Gibraltar. It was a sight one would never forget - a vast fleetof more than 400 ships.

The greatest Allied troop convoy ever to set sail was only afew hours steaming from Algiers before the Axis discovered it.

We ran through the Strait of Gibraltar at night - narrowlymissing a few small boats fishing with lights. There were noblackouts in Africa and the sea fronts all along the Moroccancoast were a blaze of light.

Then as daylight came, the might of the Allied force wasfully revealed. The convoy took a northerly course, skirting thesouthern Spanish coast; this was a deliberate feint towardMalta. The mass of ships maneuvered, breaking up into small-er convoys. The Algiers armada of war ships, troop ships, andcargo ships swung majestically southward as the sun fell overthe western horizon on the Mediterranean.

It was Nov. 7 as the ships swayed laboriously in the motion-less and calm sea as they maneuvered the turn that was to belargely responsible for deceiving the German and Italian airforces. We saw a great orange splash of flame. Night fell andwe could see only gun flashes and searchlights. The Chaseplowed on through the calm seas. The wind from Africa blewstrongly as though in welcome.

FIRST BLOW - FIRST HOSTILE ACTION

Saturday, Nov. 7 I made my way up to the bridge, preparingto go on the four to eight watch first stepping into the radioshack to check on the Army--Notre Dame football game. Withour battle escort ahead, we were racing eastwards. Twenty-fourhours to go and still the enemy had done nothing to stop us.

Dawn was but a gray cloud to the east of the darkness onthat last morning when suddenly the whole convoy was shaken



by a violent explosion. A German plane glided in from the portquarter of the USS Thomas Stone, dropping an aerial torpedo,which hit her aft. Another aerial torpedo missed the U.S.S.Samuel Chase by 50 yards.

The German plane was showing a red light. The Stoneimmediately began to emit heavy black smoke. She fired awhite rocket and pulled out of line. A destroyer escort was leftto screen the crippled ship while on the Chase, GQ was sound-ed and at the same time over the ship P.A. – “Now hear this:All hands to their battle station, all hands to their battle sta-tion.”

I was standing near the P.A. box and remember when thecommodore came on the navigation bridge saying, “That Goddamn Nazzy pilot earned his pay.” Since then it stuck and Ihave always pronounced it - Nazzzy, not Nazi.

From the Stone we received message said they’d been hit insteering room and believed that the rudder and propeller weregone, the steering compartment and after magazine flooded.Bulkheads were holding and she requested tow. When wereceived the message the captain proposed to take the Stone intow but Capt. Edgar thought otherwise. Cmdr. Heimer thenproposed as an alternative: to take off the troops, but this sug-gestion was likewise rejected. The operation order was clear:vessels damaged in convoy must be left behind. We continuedeasterly while zigzagging the rest of the way.

The ancient Moslem city of Algiers was the most importantobjective of the entire North African campaign. Few citizenswere stirring and rumors of war had filled the capitol ofAlgeria. Only a few people in this port city founded by theMoors in the 10th century actually knew of the momentousevent unfolding along the thousand-mile stretch of coastline. Apowerful Allied naval force was lying off shore as the city of300,000 slept.

The city of Algiers lies white and sprawling on hillsidesthat run down to Half Moon Harbor and the bay that archesfrom Pointe Pescade on the west to Cape Manitou on the east.Slowly we edged in shore; we stopped just outside the range ofthe powerful Cape Sid. Ferruche, a favorite bathing beach forAlgerians and a smooth invasion shore. To the east they willland on beaches around the tip of Cape Manitou.

We began approaching the transport area at 1815 when theChase, Leedstown, Almaak, Exceller, and M.V. Dempo brokeoff from the other ships of the convoy. We reduced speed tofive knots. Again, I was on watch as we maneuvered ourspeeds and as Cdr. Heimer on the bridge issued orders as tospeeds and course. Ashore, I could see the lights of the city ofAlgiers.

Ens. L. M. McLin and Ens. G. D. Banks were in-charge sothey mustered their men. They received photographs, profilesof sketches and charts, descriptions of the terrain to be expect-ed. They studied it so that they could visualize the profile of

the beaches. They went over the side at 2200 on Nov. 7.We sighted Cape Maxine light one point forward of the star-

board beam at 2055 on Nov. 7. Once we reached the transportarea, the Chase went into Condition Four, a status when allmembers of the crew took their positions - in the boats, at thewinches, manning the guns, the signal and navigation bridge,and the engine room with Captain Heimer issuing orders. Wewere in readiness for lowering boats. A signal light, believedfrom a submarine, was sighted.

At 2155 we swing our boats over the side and began lower-ing them at 2201. All our boats were over the side at 2256. Wethen started our debarkation at 2242. Other ships presentincluded Leedstown, Almaak, Macharda, M.V. Dempo, Maron,and the Exceller.

At 0105 on Nov. 8, all boats were loaded. We received wordon the bridge at 0133, that the first wave had reached the beach.The second wave at came at 0120, and the third wave at 0200.

The fort at Algiers turned on huge searchlights. We couldsee gun flares as our loaded landing craft nuzzled against theside of the Chase preparing to start for Red Beach 1.

Enemy planes were active over the landing area. At 0225, alow-flying plane was overhead. The Chase opened fire and theplane was driven off. At 0349, gunfire was observed on thebeach and at Cape Manitou. At 1520 the British cruiser HMSBermuda shelled the fort on Cape Manitou and planes dive-bombed - quite a sight. Less than two hours later at about 1700,German bombers and torpedo planes carried out a concertedbombing attack.

The formation of planes that came over the transportanchorage was Heinkel bombers and torpedo-carrying JU-88s.The first blow of this attack was a stick of three bombs, whichmissed the Chase us on the starboard bow by about 50 yards.The ship rolled on the swells created.

At dusk, 1800, another stick of bombs missed the stern byabout 100 yards. A low-flying bomber was soon to come overthe lodge of rocks. Two torpedoes, released simultaneously,were headed for The Chase in an inverted “V”. Their wakeswere discernable in the fluorescent water.

I stood with dozens of shipmates on the portside of thebridge when the anchor detail raised the cry of torpedo wake.After what seemed like interminable waiting, one passed with-in three feet of the bow; the second torpedo passed along thestarboard side of the Chase, and through changing coursesslightly, missed us by twenty yards. In this attack, the USSLeedstown was damaged in the stern by an aerial torpedo. Thedamages included a probable bent shaft and rudderpost, whichimmobilized the ship.

HMS Cowbrey, which I observed darting in and firing, thenwith siren on, darting out of range of the fort, was bombed andstrafed by a dive bomber, sustaining several casualties. TheLeedstown, whose steering compartment was damaged, was



left with a destroyer escort while the rest of us proceeded to theopen roadstead out of Cape Manitou.

At 0321 on the morning of Nov. 9, enemy planes droppedparachute flares almost overhead. We sounded general alarm,and the plane dropped flares. We got underway at 0507. Aplane was sighted at 0559 and it dropped bombs near theExceller that were intended for the Chase.

The Chase anchored in the open roadstead south of CapeManitou. We established a beach and began unloading troopsand their equipment. We spotted bombers and our 20mm gunsopened fire. At 1531 we sounded alarm at the sighting ofbombers. Bombs fell between the Exceller and the Chase. Onebomb, a near miss, buckled the Exceller’s plates. A RAFSpitfire shot down one of the enemy planes.

The Chase sighted a bomber flight and called conditionFour B - a modified battle condition where every man not inthe boat or in the beach party being assigned a battle station. Aheavy attack on the ships presently ensued in the roadstead inthe harbor and outside the harbor. During the attack threeGerman planes were shot down nearby, two of which crashedin flames on the beach.

The Chase was underway and maneuvering at variousspeeds and courses, with rudder from full left to full right.These gyrations for the purpose of evading any set attack.While we were under attack and maneuvering and at fullspeed, two torpedo planes released their loads. Both torpedoesmissed “The Lucky Chase” by about 100 yards. We anchoredin the evening of Nov. 9 and took aboard the survivors of theHMS Cawdrey and 29 U.S. Coast Guardsmen from theExceller.

Either because the Chase had the appearance of a largervessel with greater firepower, or because she was known to bethe flagship of the division, she was the objective of most ofthe bombing and submarine attacks. The communication offi-cer of HMS Beloho informed us that the Chase had been offi-cially credited with shooting down three enemy planes.

The German attack against the Leedstown was wellplanned and successful. The formation of planes that cameover the transport anchorage was a flight of torpedo-carryingJU-88s, a German twin-engine fighter-bomber. One JU-88came over from the Leedstown’s starboard quarter to port fly-ing 50 feet high. While a Spitfire shot down this plane, anoth-er came over at low altitude directly astern and launched twotorpedoes.

One struck the Leedstown in the steering engine room,flooding number 6 hold. Unloading continued uninterrupted.At 1115, two torpedoes smashed with terrific force into theLeedstown amidships and she began to settle by the bow witha sharp starboard list. It was then that her captain - Lt. Cmdr.Duncan Cook - gave the order to abandon ship: The HMSSamphire stood by to take off casualties, while the rest of crew

launched rafts over the side.Chief Hunter Wood was Bosun of the Chase beach party

and was on the beach, as was Seaman James Carrie and the fol-lowing is what he saw and did:

At 1500 we looked up and saw a JU 88 come out and makea long shallow bank to the starboard and came out in a leveldive toward the Leedstown. She dropped three bombs; theywere a near miss, landing on her portside. Then there was a ter-rific explosion in her starboard side amidships. She rolled over,and after settling, she commenced to settle down to starboard,listing quite heavily to starboard.

The crew of the Leedstown was seen to abandon ship andlaunching rafts. I would say about 28 drifted down to the beachwhere the beach party was located. The sea by this time wasvery heavy and a very, very strong undertow ran from thebeach.

The men in the rafts were lucky on two counts: First that thewind was blowing from the Leedstown straight to the beachthat led up to Aintaya.

It seemed fate that there was a sandy stretch of beach asthere was also a rocky section of beach and the wind was blow-ing the rafts toward the beach, and good luck that brought thesailors from the Leedstown. The wind blew them directly on astraight line from the stern of the Leedstown to the town ofAyantayo. As they came in on these rafts, the sailors weresinging and trying to keep up their morale, not realizing thetreacherousness of the surf.

As they came in, we took off our clothes, took small lines ofthe bowline, and went out into the surf as far as we dared to.We sang out to these sailors to get out of their rafts and hang onto the sides, some of them heard, some didn’t. The rafts, how-ever, came in, and capsized right in the surf. There was a terrif-ic look of shock and strain on the faces of the sailors as theycame in from that abuse, after having been bombed and torpe-doed.

They were floating around there in the Kapoks, faces down,rendered more or less unconscious, the rafts having come downon top of them after they had been capsized. Some rafts thathad already been emptied were swept back by the undertowand banged right into them. All hands worked until they werenearly exhausted. The people from the town of Aayantayocame down to the beach afterwards and they also went into thewater to snake these sailors out. The Army also gave us a handthere. The beach was quite a scene of activity there, for I shouldsay 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

The sailors from the Leedstown were taken up into a theater,an old theater there in the town of Ayantayo, where straw hadbeen strewn all over the deck, and the sailors were made ascomfortable as possible. They were shivering, of course, as itwas quite chilly at the time there. They were given alcoholicbeverages to straighten them out a little. The French people, I



might say, were very fine towards the sailors, very friendlytowards them, gave them shoes and clothing in a great manycases.

The Leedstown, however, didn’t sink exactly that night. Shekept. She just lay there and listed, and I went into the little villathat we had on the beach that night. I took a last look at her atdusk and saw she was all right. She still listed though. At 12o’clock that night there was an explosion and the Leedstownsank. I don’t know the exact cause of that explosion. The nextmorning at dawn when we looked over there all that could beseen was the truck of her mast in the water.

At 0200 on the morning of Nov. 10, there was a calm thatwas immediately taken advantage of by beginning the unload-ing of equipment. Only two enemy bombers appeared over-head that morning, the Chase being underway and maneuver-ing again. Likewise, at dusk, expecting the usual eveningattack, the Chase was maneuvering at various speeds and atvarying degrees of rudder. Enemy planes were in the distancebut none appeared overhead.

The ship began heaving around at 0515 and proceededacross the roadstead to moor within the breakwater at VieuxPort Algiers. One 50-foot tank lighter was received from theExceller. It was half full of water with the engine compartmentcompletely flooded, but after extensive repairs, it was used inthe unloading. All vehicles were unloaded by tank lighter onthe beach. Unloading continued on Nov. 12 and completed inthe early afternoon.

We left the breakwater in theevening of Nov. 18 and joinedHMS Avenger, the USS Almaak,and M.V. Dempo in a convoy.Zigzagging during the night at 15knots, rendezvousing with HMSSheffield and Bita in the morningof Nov. 13. Zigzagging duringthe day and making good course,the Chase arrived in GibraltarHarbor on the morning of Nov.14.

That evening, after transfer-ring 24 British sailors to theAlmaak, the Chase left GibraltarHarbor and began taking ourposition as Convoy Command:other ships being Ettrick as vice-commodore, HMS Argus,Leticia, USS Almaak, and theMarcheda. Again, we resumedour zigzagging course.

Editor’s note: Operation Torchwas a success. The Allies had

accomplished the goal of establishing a second front against theGermans. Casualties, when compared to later campaigns, werelight: 556 Americans, 300 British, and 700 French soldiers werekilled. The U.S. also sustained 837 casualties. But victory was along way off for the new Anglo-American alliance. Places likeKasserine Pass, Anzio, Monte Cassino, Normandy, and Bastognestill between them and victory over the Axis Powers.

Coast Guard Twins – Ships ThatPass in the Night

By C. Bruce Palmer

My brother Bill (Williston Clark Palmer) and I (CameronBruce Palmer) are identical twins, dressed alike and wereinseparable and still are. During World War ll we continued todress alike. At the time the war broke out December 7, 1941 wewere seniors in High School and 17 years old. The followingyear we graduated and were 18.

In the fall of the year (1942) four of us Lyon Park boysdecided to join the Coast Guard (Lyon Park is in ArlingtonCounty Virginia, across the Potomac River from our NationsCapital). The four were Earl Leister, Alfred Reynolds, Bill andI. We signed up in November of ‘42 at the U.S. Coast GuardHeadquarters in D.C.

Bill had dental work to be completed so Alfred and I wentahead to be inducted. Earl wait-ed for Bill and the those twowere inducted a week later. Aland I went to Manhattan Beachin Brooklyn for boot training.Bill and Earl expected to beassigned to Manhattan Beachbut instead were assigned toCurtis Bay in Baltimore,Maryland. In a very short timethe four of us went in four sep-arate ways.

Alfred Reynolds, after boot,went on an 83 footer and subse-quently was assigned to a D.E.(Destroyer Escort). Earl Leisterdid shore duty in NorthCarolina for a short time andlater transferred to LST 793.

Bill Palmer, also, did shoreduty for a short time on thebeaches of southeast Virginia.

The Coast Guard PalmerBrothers, Willistin Clark (left)

and Cameron Bruce.


He was then transferred to a Coast Guard manned troop trans-port – the U.S. Samuel Chase (APA 26), in time for the inva-sion of Sicily, Italy, Normandy, and Southern France.

After boot camp I was assigned to the 261 foot long U.S.Menemsha (WAG-274) with its home port of Boston, Mass.The Menemsha cruised the entire North Atlantic, entirelyalone, in search of German submarines but primarily to chartthe weather. We made six trips of nearly a month each while Iwas on board.

In the summer of 1944 I was reassigned to LST (LandingShip Tank) training at Camp Bradford Virginia, thence toPittsburgh to pick up the new LST 782. The 782 then sailed theOhio and Mississippi Rivers, through the Panama Canal and tothe Pacific.

Some where along the line our stepmother, unknown byeither of us, wrote a letter to President Roosevelt asking thatthe twins be assigned (re-assigned) together. She had been thesecretary to Interior’s Harold Ickes. She thought that she mighthave a bit of influence. The White House (and the CoastGuard) responded with, “we will get the brothers togetherwhen it is practicable.”

After the invasion of Iwo Jima, on February 19, 1945, inwhich LST 782 was involved, we gathered in Leyte Gulf alongwith several hundred ships for the next invasion. Bill did notknow what part of the Pacific I was in. I did not know whereBill was – I assumed he was still in the European theater.

A DAY TO REMEMBER –MARCH 24, 1945

On March 24 one of my ship-mates reported to me that he hadseen my brother’s ship. With a rela-tively small compliment of men onLST 782 everyone knowseveryone’s business. Concerningthe Samuel Chase, that ship had fiveunique horizontal slits on its stack,which made it easy to identify. Irushed to the bridge and asked theOfficer of the Deck if I could visitmy brother’s ship. He told me thatin a short while he was going to runerrands with the small boat (LCVP)and that he would drop me off at theChase and pick me up later in theday.

I asked the Signalman on duty tosend a message, by blinker, to thebridge of the Chase and say, ineffect, “ Bill Palmer, I will see youwithin the hour and spend some

time with you, signed Bee.” A message came back to us in min-utes and said, in effect, “Bruce Palmer, I will be waiting foryou, signed Bee.”

I quote from brother Bill’s personal history, page 166, calledA Sentimental Journey, “One day I just happened to be up onthe flying bridge visiting a couple of old friends when a mes-sage was flashed to the Chase by signal light from an LSTanchored afar off. There were ships as far as the eye could see.

“I surely thought my friends were pulling my leg when theyannounced that the message was for me. But it would be diffi-cult to explain how pleased I was when I noticed the messagewas signed ‘Bee’. I knew that these two were sincere since theyweren’t familiar with which Bruce and I addressed one anoth-er.”

I arrived at the Chase as I had promised. Bee had gathereda few shipmates to welcome me, including two of our old highschool friends. After welcomes and hugs and a tour of the ship,we ventured up to the Captain’s quarters to determine the sta-tus of our getting together.

The Captain opened a drawer of his desk and pulled out theletter our stepmother had written to the President, along with itsreply. He responded, “return to your ship, gather up your gear,return to the Chase, and you are transferred.” The story doesnot end here!

There was no need to say our good byes. I returned to myLST with a copy of the orders and headed to my Captain’s

LST-782 at Iwo Jima




cabin. He said to me, “I’m sorry, but I can’t afford to let you go.We are leaving tomorrow for an engagement and you are need-ed at your fire control station, but you must realize that later onyou must transferred off the ship.” My station was on the bow,fire controlling the forward twin 40’s. He may, or may not,have know our destination was Okinawa, I sure did not know.

I quote, again, from my brother’s history, “His ship pulledup anchor, joined the other ships and sailed over the horizon –and I didn’t see him for many months. When I think back onthe war that reunion was a great highlight for me [and me too]in those trying days – and just think of what the odds must bewhen you consider of the thousands of ships, and just two hap-pened to ‘PASS IN THE NIGHT’ way out there in the massivePacific.” To top it all, the Chase had run aground and wasreturning to the States for repairs.

After 16 days, and 58 general quarters, in the April 1, 1945invasion of Okinawa (and the last battle of World War ll) wecruised southeast to Ulithi, in the Caroline group, where I wastransferred off LST 782 – that was 28 April, 1945. The battle ofOkinawa was still in full swing and lasted three months in all.I bounced around the Pacific from island to ship and finallyarrived in Hawaii in June. They sent me to the Aiea ReceivingBarracks to wait for my brother’s ship to return from the WestCoast and to continue the war.

About July 2, 1945 – Bee’s and my 21st birthday – I wentto sick bay with a fever and was placed on light duty. It was atthat time, July 4th, that I received a letter from brother Bill inwhich he said, “Congratulate me, I have been transferred offthe Chase to the Coast Guard Radio Station in Alexandria,” amere eight miles from our home in Arlington.

I high tailed it to the office to explain that I was to go on theChase with my twin brother and that my brother was no longeron the Chase. The guy there looked over my papers and said,“there is no mention of a twin brother. You will go on the

Samuel Chase as assigned, period.”That same day I wrote back to Bee pleading with him to do

something – like going to Coast Guard Headquarters in nearbyD.C. I mailed the letter and I barely made it to my bunk. Theysent an ambulance for me and took me to U.S. Naval Hospital,Base # 128 at Aiea, further up the hill from Pearl Harbor –again, this was July 4, 1945.

The hospital was a series of Quonset huts with about 20patients per hut. Each bed had a set of earphones where you

could listen to Hawaiian music ninety percent ofthe time on the only two radio stations on Oahu,KGU and KGMB, with an occasional news broad-casts.

I turned into Base 128 with a toe tag that readD.U. (Diagnosis Unknown). It wasn’t until myhead swelled up, as if I had been beaten with abaseball bat, that the diagnosis became know -Sinusitis Ethmoidal.

A few days after I was admitted I received areturn letter from brother Bill. He had gone toCoast Guard Headquarters where they agreed tobring me back home but it might take two months.(My stay in the hospital lasted exactly twomonths). My reaction was, yeh, sure, the govern-

Bee’s Coast Guard Ship — USS Samuel Chase (APA-26)

USS Menemsha (WAG-274)



ment doesn’t act that fast.On August 6, 1945, during the night, some patient was lis-

tening to the radio, when he raised up and shouted, “ We justdropped a huge bomb on Japan and wiped out an entire city –called Hiroshima.” There were many doubting Thomases, atleast until the second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki threedays later.

On August 14, 1945 President Harry S. Truman announcedon the radio that WORLD WAR ll HAS ENDED – with theunconditional surrender of the Empire of Japan. Everybodywent nuts. The compound went wild. Some of us who were notbedridden ran into the street to add to the confusion.

We looked down the hill to Pearl Harbor and the profusionof ships. They began lighting their pyrotechnics. In a momentit looked like the fourth of July at the grounds of theWashington Monument in D.C.

I was elated along with everyone else. But wait! Suddenlyit hit me. The war was over but I still was slated to go theChase, to go out into the Pacific for cleanup operations and mytwin brother was no longer the Chase. My morale sunk to alow ebb.

On September 2nd I was dismissed from Hospital # 128and transferred to the Coast Guard Receiving Station atWailupe, which was six miles east of Waikiki. They put me onguard duty as I was still on light duty.

Again, as always, it didn’t take long for everyone to knowyour business. My mates there started kidding me with, “ I sawyour brother’s ship today.” I didn’t know what to believe.

I had been at Wailupe for only three days when the officecalled me, via the loud speaker while I was walking myrounds. They told me to report immediately.

At the office they informed me that I was being transferredand that a car was waiting for me. My heart sank to the lowestpoint that it had ever been. Of course I knew what the answerwould be – to the Chase, but I asked anyway. Where was Ibeing transferred to ? They answered, “ TO THE COASTGUARD RADIO STATION IN ALEXANDRIA IN VIR-GINIA.” While I thanked Bee for his visit to USCGHeadquarters I told them ‘ I will be ready in five minutes.’

On September 5, 1945 I was back at Aiea ReceivingBarracks, which had changed complexion. It was over crowd-ed with sailors waiting to go home. After a couple of falsealarms my name was posted on the list to go on the heavycruiser Baltimore.

The U.S. Baltimore was also crowded. As we approachedSan Francisco on September 21, there on the side of the hillwas a several feet high (and tear soaked) sign which read ‘WELCOME HOME.’ As we cruised below the Golden GateBridge you could see people waving from car windows (therewas no air conditioning in cars in those days). At pier #7 alarge band was playing, “ California Here I Come “, followed

by a few service numbers, including the Coast Guard song. Iwas glad to be home after three years.

After three days at Alameda I was on a train to the EastCoast. Believe it or not I had my own compartment. My ticketread Alexandria but I got off at Union Station in D.C. andcalled my father to pick me up.

The twins were back together. We would remain at theRadio Station the last five months – a mere eight miles fromour home in Arlington. From Bill’s journal, page 178, “Justthink, after all this time Bee and I finally were stationed togeth-er – and in our own back yard.” As we left the SeparationCenter in Philadelphia, our thoughts went back to that greatUnion when two ships ‘ PASSED IN THE NIGHT’.

The twins are still inseparable. We keep in touch regularly,by phone rather than by e-mail. Bill lives alone in Waterloo,Iowa, having lost two wives. He has two children and sevengrandchildren, five of whom are triplets and twins. Bruce livesin McLean, Va. Peggy and Bruce have been married 53 years,and have one child, Martha who has two of our grandchildren.Bill and Bruce will turn 80 on July 2, 2004, Bruce 15 minutesbefore Bill.

Assuming The WatchOn Dec. 4, 2003, MCPO Jeffrey D. Smith was sworn in as

the fourth Reserve Force Master Chief at a change of watch andretirement ceremony at USCG Telecommunications andInformation Systems Command, Alexandria, Va. Smith tookthe reins of the Coast Guard Reserve’s top enlisted positionfrom CGCVA member MCPO George P. Ingraham, who hadserved in that capacity since Sept. 4, 1998. The day also rec-ognized Ingraham’s retirement after 42 years service.

The Coast Guard Reserve Force Master Chief was original-ly established in June 1991 to serve as a USCG headquartersliaison for all USCG Reserve enlisted personnel. MCPO

Current and former MCPO-CGs pose with MCPO Ingraham athis Change of Watch and Retirement. From left to right are

Ingraham, MCPO-CG Rick Trent, USCG (Ret.), current MCPO-CG Frank Welch, and MCPO-CG Vince Patton, USCG (Ret.).



Forrest W. Croom was the first to holdthe position, followed by MCPO WilliamC. Phillips, then Ingraham.

“It is truly a service that is better nowthat MCPO ingraham has served,” saidMCPO-CG Frank Welch during theopening remarks. “My sincere thanks toMCPO Ingraham and Smith. We have

been and will remain in capable hands.”Vice Commandant VADM Thomas

Barrett presented Ingraham with a Legionof Merit, and presidential and retirementcertificates. Barrett was serving asDirector of Reserve and Training in 1998when MCPO Ingraham began serving asReserve Force Master Chief, giving him aunique perspective on the ceremony.

“MCPO Ingraham, you were a superbrepresentative for our service,” saidBarrett. “I am very, very proud to haveserved with you in the U. S. Coast Guard...MCPO Smith, you’re the right person forthe job. The country will prevail, and withyour leadership, we’ll be up to the chal-lenge.”

Editor’s Note: Thanks to CWO EdKruska of the Reservist Magazine for this arti-cle (which I liberally editted). And, on behalfof the entire CGCVA membership, good luckGeorge in all that you do. Thanks for all thesupport you provided our Association over theyears. Please remain active as an CGCVAmember! Also, best of luck in your new jobMCPO Smith!

CGCVA member MCPO George P.Ingraham at his retirement ceremony.

Let Your Name Live OnFor years, the Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association has been operating from day-to day through the collection of

dues and contributions of our members. The time has come for us to be more concerned about the future. Will you con-sider naming the CGCVA in your will? Any help in the form of cash, stocks, or life insurance policies will help assurethe future of the Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association. It can be as easy as using one of these sample forms ofbequest:

(Whatever is left after other bequests have been granted.) “All the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate,including real estate and personal property, I give, devise and bequeath to the Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association,a Corporation created under the laws of the State of Ohio, located at (give the current designated Administrative Officeor Headquarters address).”

“I give, devise, and bequeath to the Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association, a Corporation created under thelaws of the State of Ohio, located at (give the current designated Administrative Office or Headquarters address),________% of my estate.”

“I give, devise, and bequeath to the Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association, a Corporation created under thelaws of the State of Ohio, located at (give the current designated Administrative Office or Headquarters address), the sumof ________ for the (Name a specific fund), the principle of which shall remain in perpetuity.”

Please remember: The CGCVA is a Non-Profit Association. All donations are tax-deductible.

“This job will be thehighlight of your

career. I look back andthere is no way I couldhave predicted all of

the events thatoccurred. So buckle up

— you are in for oneheck of a ride!”

—MCPO Ingraham, to incomingReserve Force Master Chief,

MCPO Jeffrey D. Smith.

Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

Please read before completing application: Limited to students 23 years of age or younger. ThisApplication must be accompanied with the following: Minimum of two (2) reference letters (teacher, pas-tor, lawyer, etc.), copy of GPA (applicant must have a minimum 2.75 GPA), personal history (in ownwords), and statement from sponsor. Applicant must be a relative of the CGCVA sponsor (son, daugh-ter, grandson or granddaughter). Sponsor must be a member in good standing. Applicant shall be a sec-ond year student of a junior college, a third year student of a four-year college, or a high school senior.Must show financial need.

STUDENT’S NAME:

Last First Middle Initial Date of Birth

Address Apt# City State Zip Telephone No.

Social Security Number Applicant’s Signature* Date

*(This authorizes the CGCVA to verify records from the applicable institutions and/or all other sourcesdeemed necessary by the CGCVA)

SPONSOR’S NAME:

Last First Middle Initial CGCVA Exp. Date

Address Apt# City State Zip Telephone Number

Sponsor’s Signature Date

Send completed Application w/attachments to: Ed Burke, 17728 Striley Drive, Ashton, Md., 20861.

Date received: Complete: Yes No

Received by: Approved: Yes No

Awarded:Date

Presenter:Name

Mailed:Date

Cc: CGCVA National Secretary/TreasurerCGCVA National President

Hello Everyone:Guess what? It’s time to get excited... the Ft. Mitchell,

Kentucky Reunion is just around the corner! So if you’re notalready registered, do it now! There will be lots of fun thingsto do, including our CGCVA Auxiliary Friendship Luncheonon Saturday, April 24th. Cost is only $15 per person and wealways have a surprise at this activity.

This year, Pat & I plan to travel to Alaska from Kentucky.We will be fishing and panning for gold in different places aswe head westward. I think it would be a lot of fun if we couldform a caravan going that way. Anyone with a motorhomecare to travel along with us? Let me know. You can reachme at: [email protected]. Please put CGCV in your e-mail subject line or I might not open it. Anyway, we plan tospend the entire summer there. Of course, if you have yourown transportation, you can do as you please.

Pat and I plan to attend the annual “State of the CoastGuard” Luncheon on March 25th in Washington, D.C., anevent we have participated in the past few years.

I recently received a call from Jane Maxwell, ourSecretary-Treasurer, who informed me that she regrettablywon’t be at the reunion. A grandson is getting married thatsame week. She also said she is recuperating from foot sur-gery. I want to apologize to Jane for not having kept up withher during her operation and convalescent period. Jane, I amsorry and we will truly miss you in Kentucky. Get well soon!

Well, don’t guess I’ll be getting the “Miss Manners of the

Year” award this time, huh?!Did you know that exercise of the brain is as important as

exercise of the muscles? As we grow older, it’s important thatwe stay mentally alert. The saying, “If you don’t use it, you’lllose it” also applies to the brain. So, try the following test todetermine if you’re losing it or are still with it. Relax... clearyour mind and begin:

(1) First, what do you put in a toaster?

(2) Next, say “silk” five times. Now spell “silk.” What docows drink?

(3) Finally, if a red house is made from red bricks, and ablue house from blue bricks, and a pink house from pinkbricks, and a black house from black bricks, what is a greenhouse made from?

I know everyone passed the test, so I look forward to see-ing all you brains at the Reunion. Take care and don’t forgetour troops are still fighting and it’s worse now than when thewar was declared “over.” So please don’t forget them!

Shirley Ramsey

CGCVA Auxiliary News

Answer:“Bread.” If you said “toast”, then give up now before you hurtyourself. If you said “bread”, move on to question 2.

Answer:“Water.” If you said “milk,” please don’t attempt the nextquestion. Your brain is obviously over-stressed and may even over-

Answer:“Glass.” If you said “green bricks,” what the devil are you still

Coast Guard Combat Veterans AuxiliaryMembership Application

Name: Date:Last First Init.

Address:Street or Box Number City State Zip Code

Eligibility: Sponsor’s Name:Wife, Husband, Son, Other

Amount of Membership Dues enclosed: $ Dues are $10.00 every two years. Make checks payable to: CGCVA AUX and mail to: Jane Maxwell, Secretary-Treasurer, P.O.

Box 2790, Burney, Ca., 96013.

CGCVA Small Stores


The following CGCVA items are now available. Send orders to Baker Herbert at P.O. Box 544, Westfield Center, Oh., 44251-0544. Call Baker at (330) 887-5539 or e-mail at [email protected]. Please make checks payable to CGCVA. Pricesshown include first-class mailing with the exception of Christmas Tree Ornaments, and books which require special packag-ing.

BASEBALL CAP: blue/black, gold lettered CGCVA with logo, full back, plain visor. White baseball cap also available. One sizefits all. $11.00 With senior officer scrambled eggs on visor. $15.00. Add $3.00 and up to six gold letters will be sewn on theback of your cap. Example: “SWIFTY”

CHRISTMAS TREE ORNAMENTS: 255’ Owasco Class; 378’ Hamilton Class; 270’ Class; 210’ Class; and USCGC Mackinaw.Each ship of class imprinted on one side of ornament with commissioning & decommissioning dates; color drawing of ship onother side. $12.50 each (shipped in display box).

CGCVA GARRISON CAP: Fore’n aft cap with embroidered CGCVA color logo and “Coast Guard Combat VeteransAssociation” in white lettering. Must state size. $25.00

LAPEL PIN (New Item!): U.S. Flag above USCG logo. $4.00 each; two for $7.00; and three for $10.00.

BOOKS: “Coast Guard Navy of WWII” by William Knight. Special reduced price $19.95 “Coast Guard Action in Vietnam” byPaul Scotti $20.00 “Coast Guard In World War One” by CGCVA member CAPT Alex Larzelere $30.00. “Rescue At Sea” byClayton Evans $40.00 (List price is $49.95 plus S&H).

From the Service Officers

VA Disability Compensation 2004

In addition to health care for veterans who have applied forand received a service connected disability rating they willreceive a compensation check based on the amount of disabili-ty awarded. This amount will be subtracted from any retire-ment pay they are entitled to unless they qualify for CDP orCRSC. However, this amount is non-taxable which will reducetheir tax liability. Additional amounts may be payable for aspouse, child, and/or dependent parent when a veteran is enti-tled to compensation based on disability(ies) evaluated as 30%or more disabling. Veterans who have received a service con-nected disability rating for 10 continuous years cannot havetheir benefits severed and veterans who have been continuous-ly rated at or above a certain % rating for 20 years cannot havethat rating lowered unless their was fraud involved in obtainingthe benefit.

Basic Disability Compensation rates effective 1 DEC 2003for the calendar year 2004 are: 10% = $106 : 20% = $205 : 30%= $316 ($354) : 40% = $454 ($504) : 50% = $646 ($709) : 60%= $817 ($893) : 70% = $1029 ($1117) : 80% = $1195 ($1296): 90% = $1344 ($1498) : 100% = $2355 ($2366). Amountsshown within brackets are the rates if married. Certain disabil-ities have additional rates that are payable. Go to website:www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates/comp01.htm for complete tablesfor all variables. All disability compensation payments cease

upon the veteran’s death. Survivors can apply for Dependencyand Indemnity Compensation (DIC) if the death can be attrib-uted in any way to the veteran’s disability. If not, low-incomesurvivors can apply for a widow’s pension. [Source:www.vba.va.gov JAN 04]

WW II Memorial Dedication Celebration

The World War II Veterans Memorial now rising at the footof the Reflecting Pool opposite the Lincoln Memorial on theNational Mall in Washington, D.C., will be dedicated on 29May, 2004, the Saturday of the Memorial Day weekend.

The American Battlefield Monuments Commission(ABMC) is planning a four-day dedication celebration (May27-30) that will feature a World War II Reunion on the Mallwhere members of the WWII generation will gather together,meet former comrades, record oral histories, and enjoy 1940'smusic and World War II military displays.

Most of the groundwork on the memorial is complete andgranite installation on the perimeter is moving briskly. The firstof 17,000 pieces of granite was installed in early February andmost of the 56 pillars are up. Construction should be complet-ed on schedule in March 2004 and the memorial may be opento the public in April.

The memory of America's World War II generation will bepreserved by the memorial and through a related Web-based

The Quarterdeck Log 30 Vol.18, No. 4

ual to the record. [Source: NCOA National Capitol OfficeUpdate 22 JAN 04]

I’ve been pretty busy this past year, serving as a ServiceOfficer. During 2003, I traveled 6,000 miles, attended 11funerals, assisted 111 veterans (nine cases from out of state),coordinated five award ceremonies, attended two ServiceOfficer schools, put on “Know Your Benefits” classes.Currently, I’m working 70 VA open claims. It’s impossible toaccurately calculate the total number of hours that have beenspent assisting our Brother and Sister Veterans, but I’d guessabout 2,000. It’s all worth it though because my success ratefor all claims worked is 100%. Semper Paratus!

Tom Huckelberry

registry -- an individual listing of Americans who contributedto the war effort. Any U.S. citizen who helped win the war,whether a veteran or someone on the home front, is eligible forthe registry. Names in the registry will be forever linked to thememorial's bronze and granite representations of their sacrificeand achievement. The database will be hosted on the MemorialWeb site www.wwiimemorial.com. There are already 1.3 mil-lion records in the database, but 16 million served in uniformduring the war so the surface has only been scratched. Registryenrollments can also be made by calling toll-free 1-800-639-4992 to request a register brochure. There is no charge toenroll a member of the World War II generation in the registry,although there is a $5.00 processing fee for a certificate of theenrollment and a $10.00 fee to add a photograph of the individ-

From The Ways & Means Director

From The President (cont.)

Vietnam Monument UpdateShipmates:

The CGCVA Vietnam Memorial project tracking well withcontinued contributions of funds to build two VietnamMemorial Monuments, one at USCG Recruit Training CenterCape May, N.J., and another at the USCG Academy, NewLondon, Ct. We still need to raise about $5,000.00 for thisproject so I’m hoping you can help. Please send whatever youcan, whether it’s $5.00, $10.00 or $100.00. It will all go tobuilding the monuments and their perpetual care. All dona-tions are 501c3 tax deductible. Send donations to: BakerHerbert, CGCVA National Secretary-Treasurer, P.O. Box 544,Westfield Center, OH 44251.

The Coast Guard Command at Cape May, has also budget-ed $5000.00 towards the Monuments final landscaping, and

will be setting the footing for it to rest on.These are Coast Guard memorials folks, and we’re the last

armed force to install monuments reflecting our Service’s con-tributions during Vietnam. Let’s do this right... with fundingfrom our own, no outside sources. Please send what you can.

Invitations will be mailed in the very near future. Will yoube there? If your summer plans include Cape May, I suggestthat you secure rooms real fast. If you look in one of the lastQD Logs, you can find Hotels and Motels that can put you up.

The search for all of the men who received the PurpleHeart while in Vietnam, goes on. Do you know any one? It’stime to notify our fellow Coasties from Vietnam and pass theword on what we are doing.

Thanks for all the support! I hope to see you in Kentucky!Robert MacLeod

From the Service Officers (cont.)

Commandant, ADM ThomasCollins welcomed Nolte andwife Brittany and participatedin the presentation cere-monies.

It is always a pleasure torecognize heroic performanceon the part of Coast Guardmen and women. Again, con-gratulations to Petty OfficerNolte! Remember, we will bepresenting the 2003 CGCVACoast Guard Person of theYear award at our KentuckyConvention so there’s yetanother good reason to attend.Hope to see you there!

CGCVA Member HonoredDistinguished CGCVA member

and Vietnam Silver Star recipientLarry Villarreal, will be honoredApril 6, 2004, when a building at U.S.Coast Guard Training CenterYorktown, Va., is named for him.Larry was a ‘snipe’ so chances are itwill be an MK “A” School or engi-neering-related building. TheCGCVA is hoping to have a goodturnout for this event and provide an“honor platoon” similar to what weformed during the LT Jack Rittichieractivities this past November.Congrats Larry!

Swifty

CGCVA President Ed Swift addresses a group gathered inthe Coast Guard Commandant’s Office at CGHQ prior tomaking the 2002 CGCVA “ Person of the Year” award to

AVT3 William J. Nolte (right)

Coast Guard Combat Veterans Association

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION(Please Print Clearly)

Personal Data

Name: Date:Last First Init.

Address:Street


Telephone: E-Mail: Date of Birth:

Do you have two (2) residences? Yes No (This is for Quarterdeck Log mailings)If Yes, please furnish the below information:

Address:


Telephone: When There? From: to

Sponsored By:

Military Data

Branch of Service: Service Number: From: To:

Important: This Application MUST be accompanied by either a copy of your Discharge (both sides); or, a copyof a DD-214; or, a copy of a DD-215; or, a copy of NAV/CG-553; or, a copy of your letter of awards; or, a copyof some other “official” document that states your participation in or your direct support of a combat situation. Youmay further get a certified statement from a former shipmate who is a CGCVA member in “Good Standing,” stat-ing that you served with him on a particular ship/station during a particular period of time.

Rank/Rate: Present @Discharge @Retirement

Signature: Date:

Dues: $25.00 for two (2) years. Amount of Membership Dues Enclosed: $ Make checks or moneyorders payable to: CGCOMVETS and mail to: Baker Herbert, LM, CGCVA National Secretary-Treasurer, P.O.Box 544, Westfield Center, Oh., 44251. Phone: (330) 887-5539. Fax: (330) 887-5639.

(Above, left to right) Terry Labonte (Justin’s father), Justin, and Bobby Labonte (Justin’s uncle) pose with the 2004 Team CoastGuard Racing/Labonte Motorsports #44 Dodge during “Roll-Out” ceremonies at Daytona International Speedway prior to theDaytona 500. A partnership between the Coast Guard and Labonte Motorsports will see Justin and the 44 car compete in 15

NASCAR Busch Series races between April and November 2004.(Upper Right) Justin Labonte and several Coast Guard personnel at the car’s “roll-out” ceremony in Daytona.

Please! Look at the Exp. Date on your label and renew if due.The Quarterdeck Log

COAST GUARD COMBATVETERANS ASSOCIATIONP. O. BOX 544WESTFIELD CENTER, OH 44251

Change Service Requested

POSTMASTER Dated Material, Please Do Not Delay

U. S. POSTAGE PAIDWESTFIELD CENTER, OH

PERMIT NO. 2

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

Documents

Quarterdeck Log - Cimpress